Opposition Activist Detained in Sumgait

Yesterday a youth activist of the local organization of the Popular Front (PPFA), Dashgin Melikov, was arrested in Sumgait.   As they told Turan in PPFA, the young man was seized for possession of 200 counterfeit manat.

However, these notes were found in 2008 at the wedding of Dashgin’s brother. The family went to the police, but the police did not carry out an investigation and returned the bills to them.

A member of the PPFA, Majlis Elchin Hasanov, said that Melikov had been illegally detained by the police. In turn, the Sumgayit City Police Department confirmed to Turan, the arrest of Melikov, saying that he had been taken to Shuvelan jail. However, the police did not specify the charges against him.

According to the head of the youth committee of PPFA, Abulfaz Gurbanli, Melikov was detained by persons in civilian clothes, when he stepped off the bus. He pointed out that the young man had kept the fake bills "as a souvenir."

Gurbanli believes Melikov was detained for political reasons in connection with his participation in protests and his blogger activity on social networks.

The rights of the young man are protected by the lawyer Asabali Mustafayev, but he has not been able to meet with his client yet. -16B06-